


In.  Out.  Arson.

by mobius_stripper



Series: Tales from the Tower [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-25 23:52:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3829534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mobius_stripper/pseuds/mobius_stripper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On paper, Hawkeye and Black Widow are just really good at their jobs.  Before the redactions and the red tape though, Hawkeye and Black Widow are partners.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In.  Out.  Arson.

**Author's Note:**

> I got distracted by Clint in Ch 8 of Microcosmos and had to do the thing.

□□□ □, □□□□ - □□□□□□□□□□, Russia

"So you're the infamous Black Widow."

"If you don't kill me now, you'll regret it."

"I'll regret it if I do.  You should work for us."

She shoots him.  He shoots back.

 

Aug 30, 20□□ - The Hub

Every inch of her has been 'assessed', inside and out.  That's not enough for most people.  She welcomes _them_ with open arms.

Barton swings down from an air vent.  The Black Widow tightens her grip.  Agent Wu wisely taps out.  She holds on for one more second before letting him go.

"You passed all your qualifiers, even the psych eval.  You're one of us!  Why are you pissed?"

"Not pissed."  She brushes hair out of her face and glares at her next victim.  "Proving a point."

"Oh.  Well, in that case, carry on."

 

Feb 14, 20□□ - Barcelona, Spain

"You can say 'no'."  Hawkeye reminds her.  Again.

The Widow tightens the strap on her thigh and bares her teeth at him. 

"No one cares about 'no'."

"I do.  And if you say no, I'll put on that dress and lure the guy into the alley myself."

 

Jul 10, 20□□ - The Hub

"Lady, you need a hobby."  Barton offers her a muffin.

Natasha takes her headphones off and stares down the warm banana nut goodness.  The conversational Japanese language tape drones on without her.

"Cooking is my hobby."  He pulls the top off and shoves it into his mouth.

"This is mine," she says tapping a finger on the cassette player, mainly to make him go away.

"Okay, sure, I learned how to tell a guy to fuck himself with his mother’s goat in Latvian for fun, but I mean, you’re asking which way to the Ambassador’s bedroom and that’s _work_.  ‘Fun’ languages would be like, shit, Latin or Ancient Greek or Java.  No sex or violence involved.”

Natasha puts her headphones back on.  Barton takes the hint. 

 

Jul 10, 20□□ - The Hub

She finds a muffin on her desk when she gets back from dinner.

 

Dec 25, 20□□ - Budapest, Hungary

"Is it too late to say 'no' now?"

"Shut up and shoot."

" _I am_ but I'm not the idiot who ran out of arrows."

 

Jan 1, 20□□ - still Budapest, Hungary

"First rule of going on the run.  Walk."

"Working on it," Widow grits between her teeth, leg dragging at an awkward angle.

 

Feb 3, 20□□ - off the coast of Sao Paulo, Brazil

"We're doing this quick right?"  Agent Barton snaps his goggles on. 

"Unless I have to haul your ass out of trouble.  In and out."  Agent Romanov tucks her very red hair into a cap.

"And assassination.  The assassination is a major part of this."

Natasha pushes him off the boat.

 

□□□ □□, □□□□ - □□□□□, Ukraine

The entrance wound is still bleeding despite the fist she has pressed practically inside her abdomen.  She can't even think about the exit wound.  

She's still lying on the dead engineer when the Quinjet touches down.

 

Apr 20, 2011 - The Hub

""They are putting pictures of me in my underwear on the internet."

"So?  You get to go to Malibu and party on Tony Stark's dime."

 

May 1, 2011 - □□□-□□□-□□□□

"Nat, all the computers in the tech bay went down, and I'm hoping that was you and not some cyberterrorist because I don't want to be stuck _in New Mexico_  for the rest of my life."

 

May 2, 2011 - □□□-□□□-□□□□

"Okay, so it turns out the power here in Fuckin' Nowhere is shit, and any technological difficulties are a result of that and not the Black Widow getting revenge for government sanctioned panty shots.  I, Clint Francis Barton, am apologizing for assuming you are that kind of person.  Just remember that no punishment you can imagine will be worse than babysitting a _hammer_."

 

May 2, 2011 - □□□-□□□-□□□□

_try babysitting Tony Stark_

 

May 5, 2012 - Infirmary Rm 3, The Helicarrier

"Are you sure you want to fly?  You have a concussion."

"You gave me the concussion."

"Cognitive re-calibration," Natasha repeats.

"I haven't slept in three days because I was working for Señor Psychopath, and I can't sleep now because Captain America just told me to suit up."

"You could say 'no'," she reminds him gently.

"Yeah, I could.  Now where the hell did you put my bow?"

 

May 5, 2012 - Shawarma Palace, New York

Clint gets her extra tahini.

Natasha gives him all her fries.

Tony asks if they're sleeping together.  

Natasha picks up a plastic fork and threatens to stab him in the neck.  Again.

 

Apr 14, 2014 - □□□ □□□□□□ Dr., Washington D.C.

Natasha is staring at Sam's computer, fiddling with her necklace.

Finally, she asks to borrow it.

 

Apr 14, 2014 - □□□□□□□□□□□□□, □□□□□□□□□□

Clint gets a message from a disposable email account with one word. Orpheus.

Which is Natasha for: _Walk.  Now.  Don't look back._

He doesn't hesitate.  

 

Jun 21, 2014 -  □□□□□□□□□□□□□

“We’re doing the right thing, right?”

The soft click of typing ceases as Natasha ponders the question.

“I don’t think it’s the wrong thing,” she says finally.  "Would you feel better going back and serving time in one of your over-crowded prisons?”

Clint snorts.  “At least American prison has American cable.”  He opens one eye lazily to observe his partner tapping away on a laptop, eating pita chips and peanut butter.  “I can’t believe you used black-market connections to get _snacks_.”

Natasha crunches a chip between her teeth in response.  

 

Jun 30, 2014 - □□□□□□□□□□□□□

"So... server banks, safe houses and senior officers."  Clint memorizes the page, down the the inky blotches where the ball point caught on the paper before tossing it into the fire.

Natasha nods.  "Scrub them. No SHIELD means no prisoners, no information, no rendezvous."

"Just in and out."

"And arson."


End file.
